Subterranean or subaqueous dam or foundation construction.



No.'678,58l. Patented July 16, IQOI.

' J. F. OROURKE.

SUBTERRANEAN OR SUBAOUEOUS DAN OR FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 678,58l. Patented July 16, I90l.

- J. F. UROURKE.

SUBTERRANEAN 0B SUBAUUEOUS DAM 0R FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION;

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1901.) (No Modal.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 678,581. Patented July I6, 190:. .1. r. 0BOURKE.-

SUBTERBANEAN OR SUBAOUEOUS DAM 0R FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1901.)

(No Model.) 4 Shaets-Sheet 3.

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No. 678,58]. Patented .luly l6, 190i. J. F. OBOURKE.

SUBTERBANEAN OB SUBAQUEOUS DAM 0B FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1901.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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JOHN F. OROURKE, OFNETV YORK, N. Y.

SUBTERRANEAN OR SUBAQUEOUS DAM OR FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION.

SFIEGIFIUATION forming part of Letters latent No. 678,581, dated July 16, 1901.

- Application filed April 11, 1901. Serial No. 55,276. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. OROURKE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Subterranean or Subaqueous Dam or Foundation Construction, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to the construction, below the surface, of walls, either water-resisting simply or adapted as foundations to support the weight of superimposed structures.

One object of the invention is to provide for the construction of such walls of a continuous length greater than is possible with any of the usual methods of construction; and another object is to provide for the construction of such walls, whether of greater or less length, with more expedition and less trouble and expense than is possible with such usual methods.

Theinvention finds its most important fields in the construction of deep foundations or basements for buildings and in the building of large piers, such as bridge-piers, but is equally useful wherever it is desired to form at a considerable depth below the surface a continuous wall or dam for the purpose of retaining earth on one side or excluding the water of water-bearing strata, whether or not it is also desired to support the weight of superimposed structures. The work of construction is carried on in suitable caissons, which may be placed one after another, that portion of the dam or foundation which is formed in one caisson being connected through the adjoining ends or walls of the caisson with that portion of the wall which is built in the ad- 'oinin caisson in such a manner as to makethe two portions substantially integral, so

that the whole dam or foundation when completed shall be practically continuous from end to end, no joints beingleft through which water may find its way from one side to the other. The caissons may be formed substantially as set forth in Letters Patent of the United States No. 631,320, granted to me August 22, 1899, being composed of vertical timbers or planks which form the outer walls and other suitable beams and braces, such construction of the caissons permitting them to be prepared whenever and wherever required with little delay and at comparatively small expense. The cutting edge of each caisson may also be made oblique to the vertical axis of the caissons, as also set forth in said Letters Patent, for the purpose of directing the escape of the compressed airof a pneumatic caisson where it will not affect the stability of ground which should not be disturbed. The precise construction of the caissons, however, is not material to the present invention, which will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompany ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, show ing the abutting portions of two caissons. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig 3 is a vertical section on the plane indicated by the broken line 3 3 of Fig. 1, a portion of a cotter-dam or vertical extension of the caisson-walls being also shown in this figure. Fig. 4 is a horizontal detail section on the plane indicated by the broken line 4: 4 of Fig. 3, the material of which the dam or foundation is formed being represented in part. Fig. 5 is a vertical central section through the abutting ends of two adjoining caissons, showing the connection between the two portions of the continuous wall which are formed in the two adjoining caissons. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan View showing the application of the invention to the construction of a wall adapted to resist external pressure without requiring the use of internal braces. Fig. 7 is a similar view illustrating the application of the invention in a slightly-different form to the construction of a pier, the wall being adapted to resist external pressure without requiring the use of internal braces. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, illustrating the application of the invention to the construction of a rectangular bridge-pier. Fig. 9 is an outline view inside elevation, further illustrating the construction of the bridge-pier indicated in Fig. 8.

In the particular form of caisson which has been chosen for illustration in Figs. 1 t0 5 of the drawings of the nature of the invention the side and end walls of each caisson are shown as composed of planks .or timbers A,

which are placed vertically, their meeting edges being closely joined. At intervals within the caisson the vertical timbers A are firmly united and braced against external pressure bysnitable beams B, which are preferably formed of angle-iron. The lower or cutting edge C of the caisson may be formed as set forth in said Letters Patent No. 631,320, and the cutting edge of one wall may be made oblique with respect to the vertical axis of the caisson, as shown in Fig. 1. If the caisson is to be sunk below the surface to a depth greater than its own height, so that it will be desirable to extend the walls of the caisson upward, it is preferred to form the upwardlyextending walls as a separate section or coffer-dam, as indicated at D in Fig. 3, and in order that the upper section of the cotfer-dam may be readily placed and securely held in position upon the walls of the caisson below it the uppermost beam B of the caisson is set somewhat below the upper ends of the timbers A, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the lowermost beam 13 to which are secured the timbers A of the cofferdam D, is so placed as to extend slightly below the lower ends of such timbers A. In this manner a male and female joint between the coffer-dam and caisson is formed which will greatly facilitate the placing of the cotter-dam in exact position upon the walls of the caisson and the formation of a tight and strong joint between the two.

When it is necessary for the purpose of excluding water during the completing of the dam or foundation to carry on the work under air-pressure, the caisson is provided with a suitable roof E, which may be secured to the walls of the caisson in any suitable manner. Such roof may be provided at a central or other convenient point with a suitable opening F for connection with the air-shaft, and adjacent to the wall which is to abut against the wall of the adjoining caisson it may also be provided with an opening F, which may be covered by a removable cap or cover 9. The abutting walls of adjoining caissons are also provided with removable wall-sections, as shown in Fig. 3. One such removable wall-section a a is arranged to extend from the lower edge of the caisson about half-way up toward the roof-line, and above it is another removable wall-section a, a, which extends from the top, or near the top, of the first-named section to or near to the top of the caisson across the roof-line. For convenience each horizontal beam B is interrupted where it crosses the removable section, and the space between the ends is bridged by a short beam 1). The ends of each short beam 19 are secured by bolts or otherwise to the ends of the main beams B, and the removable wall-sections are secured by bolts or otherwise to said short beams 19, so that when the caissons have been placed in position and the work of building the dam or foundation has been carried on to a certain point each removable wall-section may be easily detached and removed for a purpose to be described presently.

In carrying on the construction of the dam or foundation in accordance with this invention with pneumatic caissons one caisson is first placed in position upon the surface, the air-shaft, air-pipes, &c;, are attached, and concrete or other material is laid upon the roof around the air -shaft and around the plate G of the opening F, leaving said plate G accessible from above. Excavation of material from within the caisson is then commenced and carried on until the caisson is sunk to the desired depth, the loading of the caisson above the roof being also carried on meanwhile as may be desirable. When the caisson has reached the desired depth and the bottom has been suitably prepared, concrete or other material is laid upon the bottom within the caisson to a level a little above the cutting edge ofthe caisson. The filling of the caisson with the masonry, concrete, clay, or other material employed is then carried on until the caisson is completely filled, except for a space or well, as indicated by the dotted line H in Fig. 2 and as shown at H in Fig. 4, which is left about the removable wall-sections a a and a at below the removable oap or cover G. Except for this space or well the caisson or air-chamber is completely filled from top to bottom in the usual manner. The adjoining caisson is then set and sunk to place, as already described, with its abutting wall as close as possible to the wall of the first caisson. It is of course sunk as nearly as, may be to the level of the first caisson; but it is not necessary that it should be sunk absolutely to the same level, since the removable wall-sections in the two abutting walls will be made sufficiently large to insure the registration of some part of the openingin one wall with some part of the opening in the other wall when the sections of the two walls have been removed. When the second caisson has been sunk and the bottom suitably prepared, this second caisson is also sealed by filling in clay or concrete or other material all over the bottom to a level alittle above the cutting edge. Then the air-pressure within the second caisson being maintained,the lower removable wall-section of the.

second caisson is taken out and through the opening thus formed the lower removable wall-section of the first caisson is also taken out, thus forming an opening from one caisson into the space or well which was left in the filling of the first caisson. Then the con crete or clay or other material employed is filled into the lower portion of the space or well H in the first caisson up to the top of the opening from one caisson into the other. Care is taken to effect the closest possible union between the filling previously placed in the first caisson and that which is placed I as here described through the opening from the second caisson, waterproofing being resorted to at this point and wherever else it may be necessary, so as to avoid any leaks immediately underneath or through the dam at the point of connection of the two portions or elsewhere. The two abutting walls of the two caissons about the opening may be drawn close together by bolts or other suit able means to form a tight joint, such joint being waterproofed in any suitable manner. After the connection has been established, as above. described, the filling of the second caisson is carried on until the second caisson is completely filled from top to bottom, except for a space or well H, which is left below the removable cap or cover F and about the removable wallsection ct of the second caisson, as clearly shownin Fig. 5, where the filling first introduced into the first caisson is represented at M and the filling introduced into the second caisson is represented at N. A similar space will of course be left next the portion of the wall. which abuts the third caisson.

It will be understood that in loading the "concrete or other material upon the roof of the second caisson care is taken to keep the removable cap F of this caisson uncovered.

Then when the second caisson has been completely filled both caps or covers F are removed, and access being thus afforded to the upper removable wall-sections a a of both caissons these wall-sections are detached and removed. The joint between the faces of the abutting walls is stuffed with oakum or other suitable packing and the two walls about the opening are drawn tightly together by bolts or otherwise. Then the filling of the cavities left in the two caissons is completed, the previousfilling of the two cavities having been first inspected from these cavities and any defects remedied.

It will be understood that if the wall is ex tended to inclose a rectangular space the opening into one of each of the corner-caissons will be formed in the side wall thereof to register with a corresponding opening in the end wall of the other corner-caisson. It will also be evident that if the area to be inclosed by the wall is rectangular and of conside able size it may be necessary to brace the wall from within in order to enable it to resist the external pressure. In some cases it may be both possible and desirable to build the wall in such form as to enable it to resist external pressure without internal braces, as indicated, for example, in Figs. 0 and 7. In the former figure the wall is represented as formed in a circle within a rectangular space which is to be covered by the building to be erected, and each caisson, and therefore each section of the wall, as indicated at A is formed with beveled ends, so that the completed wall shall be self-supporting against external pressure. In Fig. 7 the same idea is carried out in a slightly-different form, said figure illustrating the application of the invention to the construction of an octagonal bridge or other pier. In this case also each caisson, and therefore each wallsection A likewise, is formed with beveled ends, so that the completed wall shall be self-supporting against external pressure. In each of the applications of the invention illustrated in Figs.

'6 and '7 the building of the wall is carried on in the manner previously described, the sevoral caissons being sunk to position successively and successively filled with concrete or other material and each section of the wall being successively connected with and made a part of the next section in the manner already described, so that the wall when completed shall be continuous. In the application of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7 it may be possible to permit the core or material surrounded by the wall to remain in position if the character of the material is such as to make this desirable, or it may be removed and the space filled with masonry or concrete or other material to make a solid foundation after the bottom has been suitably prepared.

The value and importance of the invention in the building of bridge or other like piers are clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9, in which is illustrated in part the construction of a bridgepier in accordance with the invention. In the building of a large pier, such as that indicated, the construction and placing of a caisson large enough to inclose the entire work would be matters of large expense and great difficulty. Moreover, it would require the preparation of the bottom upon which the caisson would rest to a substantially uniform level, which in the case of a sloping rock surface would further add to the expense and trouble. By the application of the present invention, however, as shown in Fig. 9, each caisson A is sunk independently of the other to a suitable depth, the bottom being excavated only to such a depth as issufficient to afford a level surface for that caisson. The bottom for the next caisson may he stepped above or below the first, as the case may require. Each caisson is filled with concrete or other material, and the dam is made continuous by connecting each caisson with the next caisson, a saving in the quantity of material and in the labor of placing the material being thus effected compared with the usual method. When the building of the walls of the darn in this manner has been carried to a uniform level, the inside walls of the caissons may be removed, while the outside walls remain as a cotter-dam, and the space within the dam may be filled in solidly, either with or without the removal of the core, to form a solid foundation upon which the upper structure of the pier may be built, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 9. Subsequently the outside walls of the caissons may be removed to the proper depth.

It will be seen that the construction described herein affords a practically continuous wall, whether as a dam only or as a ICC foundation or as a part of a foundation, through which no water can pass from end to end, and that such wall can be formed expeditiously and without great expense. It will be understood, of course, that if the wall is not intended to completely inclose a given area then the caissons at the ends may be finished without provision for the removal of any portion of the outer end Wall, while each of the intermediate caissons will be formed at two points with such removable wall-section in order that connection may be made with both adjacent caissons.

I do not herein claim the method above described of building subterranean or subaqueous walls, as this method forms the subjectmatter of a separate application, Serial No. 62,989, filed by me on June 3,1901, as a division of this application.

I claim as my invention 1. A plurality of caissons having registering openings in adjacent Walls of less area than the interior cross-section of the caisson and removable means for closing the openings; substantially as described.

2. A plurality ofcaissons having removable and registering doors or wall-sections in adjacent walls, and havingtheir adjacent walls secured together close to said removable doors or wall-sections.

3. A plurality of caissons having each a roof and having removable and registering doors or wall-sections in their adjacent walls below the roof-line.

4. A plurality of caissons having timber walls, and having registering openings in adjacent walls of less area than the interior cross-section of thecaisson near the bottom, and other registering openings in adjacent walls above the first-named openings, and removable means for closing the registering openings; substantially as described.

5. A plurality of caissons having each a roof and having removable and registering doors or wall-sectionsin adjacent walls below the roof-line, each roof having a central opening with a removable cover, and having at the end near the adjacent caisson an opening with a removable cover.

6. A plurality of caissons having registering openings in adjacent walls of less area than the interior cross-sectional area of the caisson and a body of concrete or other ma terial filling said caissons and extending from one to the other through said registering openings.

7. A pluralityof timber caissons each having a roof and having removable and registering plates in adjoining walls below the roofline and having removable and registering timber sections extending across the roof-line.

8. The combination with a caisson formed of vertical timbers and horizontal beams and having its uppermost horizontal beam set below the upper ends of the timbers of a cofferdam formed of vertical timbers and horizontal beams and having its lowermost horizontal beam extended below the lower ends of the vertical timbers, whereby a male and female joint is formed between said caisson and coffer-dam.

9. A plurality of caissons having beveled ends with registered openings in the abutting ends of less area than the area of said ends and a body of concrete or other material filiing said caissons and extending from one to the other through said registering openings whereby the completed wall is self-supporting against external pressure.

10. A subaqueous or subterranean foundation comprising a series of sectional dams united by a continuous filling of concrete to form a continuous dam about the space to be covered and a filling of concrete or other material within such dam forming a solidfoundation.

This specification signed and witnessed this 6th day of April, A. D. 1901.

JOHN F. OROURKE.

In presence of ANTHONY N. J ESBERA, LUCIUS .E. VARNEY. 

